Heavy smoking (a pack-a-day habit) is also down from a few decades ago. Back in 1965, close to 23% of Americans were heavy smokers. Today, only about 7% smoke 20 cigarettes a day or more. California has been especially successful at reducing heavy smoking rates, in part due to smoking cessation programs and smoke-free environments. Despite this progress, as of 2011 over 9% of people who smoke consumed 30 or more cigarettes a day.